15 jaw-dropping photos from Hurricane Sandy's aftermath

October 29, 2015 marks three years since Hurricane Sandy wreaked havoc on the northeastern United States. The hurricane tore through hundreds of homes in New York and New Jersey, killing over 100 people, leaving thousands without homes and even more without power. The storm left billions of dollars of damage in its wake. It also proved how ill-prepared and vulnerable the states are for natural disasters, especially with the growing climate change on the horizon.

To mark Hurricane Sandy's three year anniversary, here are some of the most jaw-dropping photos from the storm:

Raymond Souza carries away a ladder after boarding up Tidal Rave's 5 & 10 gift shop on the boardwalk in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, on Sunday, Oct. 28, 2012, ahead of Hurricane Sandy's landfall. Before Sandy even made contact, she had already demonstrated such destructive behavior that weather historians dubbed it a "once in a lifetime storm."

A man walks past a barricaded subway entrance near Battery Park during the arrival of Hurricane Sandy on Oct. 29, 2012 in New York City. The day before, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that the MTA would shut down its busses and and Subway system and remain closed until the storm passed.

"The closer you get to the point of landfall, the decision becomes more important, and at this time we think it's a prudent decision," the governor said. "This is nothing to play with, and this is nothing to take lightly."

Cars float in a flooded subterranian basement following Hurricane Sandy on Oct. 30, 2012 in the Financial District of New York, United States. The storm claimed 160 lives nationwide and caused massive flooding across much of the Atlantic seaboard, making it the deadliest hurricane to hit the East Coast since Hurricane Agnes in 1972. U.S. President Barack Obama declared the situation a "major disaster" for large areas of the U.S. East Coast including New York City.

A resident pulls a woman in a canoe down 6th Street as high tide, rain and winds flood local streets on Oct. 29, 2012 in Lindenhurst, New York. The storm, which affected more than 50 million people in the eastern third of the U.S. and left 6.2 million across seven states without power in its wake.

People are evacuated from a neighborhood in Little Ferry, New Jersey, one day after Hurricane Sandy slammed the East Coast on Oct. 30, 2012. Sandy took the lives of 71 people, directly, and 87 people, indirectly. Officials in the states of Connecticut, Maryland, New York, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia all reported deaths from the massive storm system, while Toronto police said a Canadian woman was killed by flying debris.

Taxis sit in a flooded lot after Hurricane Sandy Oct. 30, 2012 in Hoboken, New Jersey. The superstorm flooded several subway tunnels and shut down many train and bus stations across the northern states. Despite the fact that traffic was disrupted for almost a week afterwards, evacuation efforts went on quite smoothly. Researchers at the University of Illinois used GPS data from New York taxis in order to determine how the city's traffic patterns change during hurricanes and other natural disasters.

Massive fires destroyed 110 homes in Breezy Point, Brooklyn, one of the most devastating fires as a result of Hurricane Sandy. Pictures were taken during height of fire storm at about 1 a.m. Oct. 30, 2012. The fires are suspected to have started due to a transformer explosion. Even though the area had been under evacuation orders, some residents tried to ride out the storm. Rescuers were chest-deep in water and had to use a boat to access survivors. The next day, Breezy Point residents vowed to rebuild their community.

A partially collapsed crane hangs from a 90-story residential building under construction on West 57th Street in New York, U.S., on Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2012. Atlantic superstorm Sandy cut U.S. economic growth as it kept millions of employees away from work and shut down businesses from restaurants to refineries in one of the nation's most populated and productive regions.

US President Barack Obama comforts Hurricane Sandy victim Dana Vanzant as he visits a neighborhood in Brigantine, New Jersey, on Oct. 31, 2012. Americans sifted through the wreckage of superstorm Sandy that day as millions remained without power. The storm carved a trail of devastation across New York City and New Jersey, killing dozens of people in several states, swamping miles of coastline, and throwing the tied-up White House race into disarray just days before the vote.

A girl holds jerry cans while waiting in line at a gas station on Nov. 1, 2012 in Hazlet township, New Jersey. United States. New York City schools, as well as other schools in the tri-state area, remained closed until Friday, Nov. 2, but because schools were still flooded then, many students stayed home until Nov. 7.

The roller coaster at the Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey on Nov. 1. The boardwalk was destroyed by Hurricane Sandy. This is one of the most iconic images of Hurricane Sandy's destruction. It graced the cover of t-shirts, car magnets and on the front page of media outlets. The roller coaster was eventually dismantled by a construction crew.

Scenes of Hurricane Sandy's aftermath in the Breezy Point part of Far Rockawayon Nov. 1, 2012 in the Queens borough of New York City. The superstorm was merciless in its devastation of the private beach community. Nearly 215 homes were damaged beyond compare from flooding and demolished. 135 more homes were destroyed due to fires.

This combination of photos shows above, lower Manhattan dark after the hybrid storm Sandy on Monday, Oct. 29, 2012, and below a fully lit skyline on Jan. 6, 2012, both seen from the Brooklyn borough of New York. In an attempt to lessen damage from saltwater to the subway system and the electrical network beneath the city's financial district, New York City's main utility cut power to about 6,500 customers in lower Manhattan. But a far wider swath of the city was hit with blackouts caused by flooding and transformer explosions.

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15 jaw-dropping photos from Hurricane Sandy's aftermath

Raymond Souza carries away a ladder after boarding up Tidal Rave's 5 & 10 gift shop on the boardwalk in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, October 28, 2012 ahead of Hurricane Sandy's landfall. US emergency officials braced for the potentially massive impact of a so-called 'Frankenstorm' Sunday as Hurricane Sandy lumbered north in the Atlantic Ocean, poised to hit the eastern seaboard with torrential rains and gale-force winds. The superstorm was expected to make landfall somewhere between Virginia and Massachusetts early Tuesday, possibly causing chaos during the frenzied last days of campaigning before the November 6 US presidential vote. As it churned in a northeasterly direction, the massive weather system was at category one strength, the lowest-level hurricane on the five-tiered Saffir-Simpson scale, with maximum sustained winds of 75 miles (120 kilometers) per hour, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said. AFP PHOTO/Jim WATSON (Photo credit should read JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images)

SCITUATE, MA - OCTOBER 29: Waves crash over a jetty with Scituate Lighthouse and homes in the background as Hurricane Sandy arrives along the coast of Massachusetts. (Photo by David L. Ryan/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 29: A man walks past a barricaded subway entrance near Battery Park during the arrival of Hurricane Sandy on October 29, 2012 in New York City. The core of Sandy's force is supposed to hit the New York area Monday night. (Photo by Andrew Burton/Getty Images)

LINDENHURST, NY - OCTOBER 29: Joseph Arpaio of Massapequa abondons his car on 5th Street in Lindenhurst as high tide, rain and winds flood local streets on October 29, 2012 in Lindenhurst, New York. The storm, which threatens 50 million people in the eastern third of the U.S., is expected to bring days of rain, high winds and possibly heavy snow. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 30: Cars floating in a flooded subterranian basement following Hurricaine Sandy on October 30, 2012 in the Financial District of New York, United States. The storm has claimed at least 33 lives in the United States, and has caused massive flooding across much of the Atlantic seaboard. US President Barack Obama has declared the situation a 'major disaster' for large areas of the US East Coast including New York City. (Photo by Andrew Burton/Getty Images)

UNITED STATES - OCTOBER 30: A downed tree in Capitol Hill after the passing of Hurricane Sandy. (Photo by Chris Maddaloni/CQ Roll Call)

A partially collapsed crane hangs from a 90-story residential building under construction on West 57th Street in New York, U.S., on Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2012. Atlantic superstorm Sandy may cut U.S. economic growth as it keeps millions of employees away from work and shuts businesses from restaurants to refineries in one of the nationâs most populated and productive regions. Photographer: Peter Foley/Bloomberg via Getty Images

People are evacuated from a neighborhood in Little Ferry, New Jersey, one day after Hurricane Sandy slammed the East Coast on October 30, 2012. The death toll from superstorm Sandy has risen to 32 in the United States and Canada, and was expected to climb further as several people remained missing, officials said. Officials in the states of Connecticut, Maryland, New York, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia all reported deaths from the massive storm system, while Toronto police said a Canadian woman was killed by flying debris. AFP PHOTO/Mehdi Taamallah (Photo credit should read MEHDI TAAMALLAH/AFP/Getty Images)

Backyard furniture sits in disarray at the Ice House bar in the Red Hook neighborhood of the Brooklyn borough of New York, U.S., on Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2012. New York City officials began assessing damage after superstorm Sandy killed 10 people, sparked a fire that razed 80 homes in a Queens, flooded tunnels of the biggest U.S. transit system and left 750,000 customers without power, including the lower third of Manhattan. Photographer: Matthew Leising/Bloomberg via Getty Images

People look at a tree which fell during Hurricane Sandy in the Brooklyn borough of New York on October 30, 2012. The death toll from superstorm Sandy has risen to 32 in the United States and Canada, and was expected to climb further as several people remained missing, officials said. Officials in the states of Connecticut, Maryland, New York, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia all reported deaths from the massive storm system, while Toronto police said a Canadian woman was killed by flying debris. AFP PHOTO /Mehdi Taamallah (Photo credit should read MEHDI TAAMALLAH/AFP/Getty Images)

COLD SPRING HARBOR, NY - OCTOBER 30: Residents view downed trees completely blocking Cold Spring Harbor Road in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy on October 30, 2012 in Cold Spring Harbor, New York. The storm has claimed at least a few dozen lives in the United States, and has caused massive flooding across much of the Atlantic seaboard. U.S. President Barack Obama has declared the situation a 'major disaster' for large areas of the U.S. east coast, including New York City. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

A fleet of taxis sits submerged in water in Hoboken, New Jersey, U.S., on Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2012. The Atlantic storm Sandy left a landscape of devastation across much of New Jersey, tearing apart seaside resort towns, ripping houses from foundations and littering the turnpike with rail cars and debris. Photographer: Emile Wamsteker/Bloomberg via Getty Images

NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 30: A firefighter looks through debris of a fire that destroyed over 50 homes during Hurricane Sandy on October 30, 2012 in the Breezy Point neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York. At least 33 people were reported killed in the United States by Sandy as millions of people in the eastern United States have awoken to widespread power outages, flooded homes and downed trees. New York City was hit especially hard with wide spread power outages and significant flooding in parts of the city. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 30: A man looks through the debris of his destroyed home after Hurricane Sandy on October 30, 2012 in the Rockaway section of the Queens borough of New York City. At least 40 people were reportedly killed in the U.S. by Sandy as millions of people in the eastern United States have awoken to widespread power outages, flooded homes and downed trees. New York City was hit especially hard with wide spread power outages and significant flooding in parts of the city. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

LONG BEACH, NY - OCTOBER 30: A boat sits on the dock at the East Marina in Point Lookout on October 30, 2012 in Long Beach, New York. The storm has claimed at least 40 lives in the United States, and has caused massive flooding across much of the Atlantic seaboard. US President Barack Obama has declared the situation a 'major disaster' for large areas of the US East Coast including New York City. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)

ALEXANDRIA, VA- OCTOBER 30: A giant tree rests on the home at 804 S Overlook Drive in the Beverly Hills Alexandria neighborhood on Tuesday, October 30th, 2012. Neighbors said the owners left last night after the tree fell during the storm. (Photo by Tracy A. Woodward/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

CHESAPEAKE BEACH, MD - OCTOBER 30: A downed tree and power lines block Rt. 261 in Calvert County just south of Chesapeake Beach on Tuesday morning in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, in Chesapeake Beach, MD, on October 30, 2012. (Photo by Ray K. Saunders /The Washington Post via Getty Images)

People stand outside their apartment building October 31, 2012 in Hoboken, New Jersey. Hurricane Sandy which made landfall along the New Jersey shore, has left parts of the state and the surrounding area flooded and without power. AFP PHOTO/Brendan SMIALOWSKI (Photo credit should read BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images)

Passengers at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport remain stranded on October 31, 2012 even as the airport resumes some service after being closed due to Hurricane Sandy. Kennedy and Newark Liberty airports, both of which serve New York City, reopened Wednesday morning after being closed for days by Hurricane Sandy, the local port authority said. Two New York airports and Wall Street reopened, but the crippled subway system, traffic-clogged roads and large areas still without power pose a daunting hurdle before the Big Apple can declare itself back to normal. AFP PHOTO /Mehdi Taamallah (Photo credit should read MEHDI TAAMALLAH/AFP/Getty Images)

US President Barack Obama comforts Hurricane Sandy victim Dana Vanzant as he visits a neighborhood in Brigantine, New Jersey, on October 31, 2012. Americans sifted through the wreckage of superstorm Sandy on Wednesday as millions remained without power. The storm carved a trail of devastation across New York City and New Jersey, killing dozens of people in several states, swamping miles of coastline, and throwing the tied-up White House race into disarray just days before the vote. AFP PHOTO/Jewel Samad (Photo credit should read JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images)

LINDENHURST, NY - OCTOBER 31: Gary Silberman looks out to an area that was his bedroom after it was destroyed by Hurricane Sandy on October 31, 2012 in Lindenhurst, New York, United States. The storm has claimed many lives in the United States and has caused massive flooding across much of the Atlantic seaboard. U.S. President Barack Obama has declared the situation a 'major disaster' for large areas of the U.S. east coast, including New York City, with widespread power outages and significant flooding in parts of the city. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

SEASIDE HEIGHTS, NJ - OCTOBER 31: Rescue workers gather around a house wrecked by Superstorm Sandy on October 31, 2012 in Seaside Heights, New Jersey. At least 50 people were reportedly killed in the U.S. by Sandy with New Jersey suffering massive damage and power outages. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

WAREHAM, MA - OCTOBER 31: Donald B. Hall had a kayak land inside a window at his home on Circuit Avenue after a microburst hit that was caused by remnants of Hurricane Sandy. (Photo by Jonathan Wiggs/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

[UNVERIFIED CONTENT] The American Red Cross Shelter set up at Whitman High School in Huntington Station, N.Y. just two days after Hurricane Sandy struck Long Island. 10-31-12

HAZLET TOWNSHIP, NJ - NOVEMBER 01: A man fills up jerry cans with gasoline as others wait in line on November 1, 2012 in Hazlet township, New Jersey. United States. Superstorm Sandy, which has left millions without power or water, continues to effect business and daily life throughout much of the eastern seaboard. (Photo by Andrew Burton/Getty Images)

HIGHLANDS, NJ - NOVEMBER 01: An abandoned trailer home, with the words, 'Bye-bye Paradise, it was nice while it lasted,' spray painted on its side, is seen in the Paradise Park trailer Park on November 1, 2012 in Highlands, New Jersey. Superstorm Sandy, which has left millions without power or water, continues to affect business and daily life throughout much of the eastern seaboard. (Photo by Andrew Burton/Getty Images)

NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 01: Scenes of Hurricane Sandy's aftermath in the Breezy Point part of Far Rockawayon November 1, 2012 in the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Aby Baker/Getty Images)

American flag flies above a burned out Breezy Point, Queens in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. (Photo by David Handschuh/NY Daily News via Getty Images)

KEYPORT, NJ - NOVEMBER 02: Boats once docked in Brown's Point Marina lie against a pier after being tossed by Superstorm Sandy on November 2, 2012 in Keyport, New Jersey. Keyport is a haven for boaters, resulting in hundreds of boats being scattered and/or wrecked, and several marinas destroyed. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)

A rescue center is being organized by volunteers in the gymnasium next to St Gertrude's Church as New York recovers from Hurricane Sandy on November 4, 2012 in Far Rockaway, New York. Veterans of the campaign to bring Wall Street to a standstill are now in an army of volunteers helping the tens of thousands in a crippled district of New York one week after superstorm Sandy struck. Hundreds of volunteers have poured into Far Rockaway, a poor working class district on the fringes of New York City, which endured an horrific storm last Monday. AFP PHOTO / Veronique DUPONT (Photo credit should read Veronique DUPONT/AFP/Getty Images)